Feeding mechanism



Nov. 20, 1928. 1,691,947

J. VAN BUREN FEEDING MESHANISM Filed sept. 25. 1926 2 sheets-sheet 2 INVENTOR Jon Uanufcn BY mmm ATTORNEYS.

Patented Nov. 20, 1928. i

,UNITED :STA

TES

JoHNvAN BUREN, oF BRooKnYN, NEW YORK.

Application led lSeptember 23, 1926. Serial No. 137,190.V y. i

This invention anism.

relatesto feeding mech- The invention -relates more patricularly to step by step feeding mechanism for wrap.

ping or packaging machines and the mechanism is used to feedrthe packages through the .various-f operating devices, such asV the folding andtucking devices.

Thisapplicationfis a continuation in part of applications Serial Nos. 611,913, filed January 13,1923 and 11,038, filed February 24, 1925. The applications just referred to discloseVv respectively wrapping machines adapted to wrap gum and soap.A In the mechanisms disclosed, the wrapper is placed around the article to be wrapped and the ends are then folded andtucked and glued in position. The step by step feeding mechanism is used to feed the packages through the folding, Vtucking and lgluing mechanisms and it isimportant thata package l.be so fed that a wrapper will notbe loosened or disarranged.

`This `invention has for its salient objectf to provide step by-step feedingmechanism for machines of the character described so constructed and arranged lthat the packages will bey fed through the various operating devices withoutloosening or 'disarranging the wrapper.

, Further ob] ects 'of the invention will ap'- pear from `the followingspecication takenin connectionL with the drawings, which form a part of this application, and in which Fig. 1 is an elevational view brokenaway:A

showin the step vbyfstepfeeding mechanism o the wrapping machine disclosedin application Serial No. 11,038; f

Fig. 2;-is-an elevational Aview taken at" f. right angles totheconstruction shown -in Fig/1; I

Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation of a slightly modified form of step by-,stepv feeding-mechanism, this mechanism being-disclosed'. in L application Serial No. 611,913; and

Fig. 4 is an elevational view of the con struction shown` in Fig. 3 taken at right angles to Fig. 3. l

The invention briefly described .consists of step by step feeding mechanism compris` ing a plurality of lingers movable simultaneously to feed diii'erent packages through the dfferentoperating devices ofthe wrapping machine. Thesefingers are so mounted and arev so guided in their movement that barsv 53.

they will 4feed the packages downwardly in i a vertical direction andl in leaving the packages,1will movevertically to av slight usedv for feeding cakes' of soap.""l'l`hese cakes are fed bya plunger 10-into oscillatory jaws 11./1 As' the cake'is fed intothe jaws 11,' a wrapper is alsoV fed into the jaws, theen'dsL of the. wrapper being pressed against the ends l:of the cake@l by yresilient: presser vfingers 12.

After the ,cake and"wrapper have been placed in the jaws 11, `the .jaws are `oscillated '90 orto la position in which the slot in .thejaws'v is disposediin vertical; Ypositionabove a vertical guideway 15; vAs-the cakes pass through this guideway 15,l theends-of the wrapper arefolded andtuckedin a manner fully described in myco-pend' ,ing application SerialfNo.- 11,038.

" The cakes arefed vertically in the guide-vv way to the various operating devices, th'reeA cakes being voperated simultaneously -when the machineis running.y 3;

Thefvertical stepby step;feed comprises apair ofsets of fingers 50, 51 and 52 vertically spaced-...from each. other and con! nected to or formedintegral withv common;

Thebars 53 have connected to the ends thereof, aU pair 'of bell crank levers 54 and'jiandrthepvots 56 and' 57 of these; K

levers are swungon links 58 and 59 which in 'turn are mounted Von fixed pivotsx60' and 61.v

The bars53 are pivotally supportedvat `62 and V63 at the upper ends ofthe bell crank levers 54 andf55 and the otherends of these levers are connected by a link -64. The" lever 54, or, if desired,`an arm movable withthis lever is extended'u'pwardlyas shown at 65, the upperend beingf connected at 66to a cranlirwhich is Vrotated about a shaft" 6 8 byV power derived from anyV suitable source. As the'crank'rotates, the bars *'53* andngers 50, 51'and 52 are swung inwardly, downwardly, outwardly .and upwardlyV to ffede the .packages vertically. in a Suitable guiding frame into which they are fed from the jaws 11. y l' When Vthe jaws 11"'hav`e been oscillatedr through 90VO n to a vertical position, the

lingers'O engage the package and wrapper" and force the package. downwardly tfo a position between folding .devices 70. The ends of the wrapper are -then folded across the endof the article or cake and the package. is again fed downwardly by means of the to the wrapper' (not shown ).i. l yis then again fed downwardly by the bottoml lingers 5,1 toV apositioninwhich it is acted.

upon-by mechanism for applying adhesive The package fingers'r 2-andk discharged from the vertical guideway 15. -V j The fingers 50, lfand 52`are so operated that" asv the crank 67 rotates the bars 53" and the fingers are swung inwardly, downwardly, n upwardly and outwardly in such a .manner Vthat the fingers will not tend to move across yas Vthe wrapper and loosen or disa-rrange the wrapper.V yr .j .Y

.In the ex'nbodiment of the invention illusytrated in Figs, 3 and 4;, the step by -step feeding mechanism has been shown in connectionjwitha machine designed for wrapping packages of gum. In this machine,

thegum is fed from a hopper 7 5 by aplunger-l 76 into jaws 77 and the wrapper isffed into.

theijaws with the article.` Thejaws are then rotatedythrough 90o or to a verticalposition in which-the opening in the jaws is'disposed 'in alinement with 4 a vertical guideway 78l into which thepackage is the jaws.` j f The 'mechanism illustra-ted .is adapted to simultaneously feed three packagesv through discharged :from

the guidewayi and in vthis guideway `theA wrapper is folded about the endsv of the package, the ends are :tucked-and the folded and: tuckedv ends` are; glued in place. The" folding, tucking and gluingmechanisms `v'are fullyd'isclos'ed 11n my co-pending application VSerial. No. :11,038, "but Vhave vnotibeen illus# trated in this application since they form no part of' Ethe' present invention.l f'

fv-n 'order tothus operate on `three packages' simultaneously, Ii "have vprovided a 'series' of three-pairsof -feeding fingers`100, 101 and link 109 is soy proportioned and pivoted as to modify the movement of the bars 103` and 104 to givethe proper and desired feed-I ing and retracting movement to the' fingers 100, 101 and 102. This movement is further accomplished by a bar or arm 111 secured to the shaft' 105. "The 'member 111Vv extends downwardly and has mounted on its lower end a roller 112 which in turn is disposed inr a track 113, thus fconfining the movement of the lower end of the member 111 to a reciprocating path.

In effect, the movement of' the fingers is such that during, their feedingV oper-ation they morev substantially vertically downwardly. At'the limitoftheir feeding oper'- ation, however, they -arefraised and moved laterally away from the `path of the gum iackaoes and are raisedthroufrh a curvedv path and return to theirr initialposition.

From the above ydescription it will beseen.

that simple and practical step -byiste-p Ifeed ing mechanism has been designed and-'that this Vmechanism will Vfeed, the packages through the various operative mechanisms of the wrapping machine in such a manner that the wrappers will not-'be ydisafrranged or loosened from thje articlesA Although certain specific embodiments -fof the invention have been particularly lshown and described, it will be understoodfthat the invention.- is capable of modification and! that changes in the construction 'and in .the ar.y rangement of the various cooperating parts maybe made without departingfrom'the spiritor scope rof the invention, as 'expressed in the `following claims. y

WhatIclaim'is': d f 1 1. Ina, mechanical movement, a v rotatable driving member, a 'driven-member, drivi connections between d saidV` members" 'fai'l means orguidin'g the driven .member in? a manner whereby the Vrotationalv movement of; the driving member will `impart to kthe driveny member-a substantially `straight line4 movement in one direction "and a backing olf 'and curved movement in the` opposite direction. i 1 1 2. In a mechanical movement, arotatable d-riving'member,-a driven member, driving connections `between said: members and means for guiding the driven memberiinfav manner whereby the 'rotation `movement of the driving member will impart 'to' the drven'member a' substantially l straight Iline movement in one direction and a 'substantially straight "line backing ofi"vv Amovement and a curved return movement inthe 'opposite direction. j i y 3. In a mechanicalmovement, ra 'rotatable driving member, a driven member, driving connections between said membersxand means including a leverconnectedftat vone end to the driving member, intermediate its ends tothe driven member and at 'its opposite'end to a link having affixed pivot,

for guiding the driven member in a manner whereby the rotational movement of the driving member will impart to the driven member a'substantially straight line movement in one direction and a backing 0H and curved movementI in the opposite direction.

4. In a mechanical movement, a rotatable driving member, a driven member, a lever connected at one end to the driving member, intermediate its ends to the driven memberV and at its other end to a link pivoted on a fixed pivot, and means for confining the other end of the driven member to a reciprocating path. v

5. In a machine of the class described, package feeding means comprising fingers engageable with the package and means for imparting to the feeding fingers a straight line vertical feeding movement and a curved return movement to the feeding position.

6. In a machine of the class described, package feeding means comprising a plurality of spaced, 'successively acting fingers engageable with the package and means for imparting to the feeding fingers a straight line vertical feeding movement, and a 'curved ing fingers a straight line feeding movement,` and an upward, lateral movement from the packages fed on the return movement of the fingers. Y ,y

8. In a mechanism of the character described, a substantially vertical guiding frame for receiving and guidin'g'packages, l Y 40 successively acting feeding means for feeding the packages through said frame, and means for imparting to said feeding means ka substantially vertical feeding movement and an upward and lateral movement away from the packages on the return movement thereof. l

In witnesswhereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 22nd day of September, 1926.

JOHN VAN BUREN. 

